Photo Camp: Costa Rica

Orange-and-Blue Frog on Moss

Photograph by Carolina Hernández Chant

National Geographic’s 2008 Photo Camp: Costa Rica asked participants to paint a portrait of EARTH University to show how its students, staff, and the surrounding community in Guácimo, Limón, are working toward sustainable development in the tropics by balancing agricultural production and environmental preservation. The workshop, held in July, supported the university’s goals of producing leaders with ethical values to contribute to sustainable development as well as to a prosperous and just society.

This gallery presents images made during the workshop paired with the photographer’s thoughts on the environment. Here, a shot by student Carolina Hernández Chant shows an orange-and-blue frog on a moss-covered branch.

“Sooner or later all of us will reach that connection [with nature],” wrote Chant. “Some faster than others. Maybe some will wait until water is scarce, or there’s little air left to breath. Some of us have discovered the truth that nature, animals, and every single being on this planet is made of the same elements. We are the union of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. We are part of a wonderful world that struggles, day after day, to maintain a balance between species.”

Pink Flower

Photograph by Gabriel Porras Borbón

“I experience nature every day,” says Photo Camp participant Gabriel Porras Borbón. “When I breathe I feel the value of trees, and every drop of water reminds me of the perfect balance that Mother Nature provides, and that it shall not be broken. I often think of the abundance that has been provided—we need a tiny piece of air compared to the amount of air surrounding us. When I touch the soil I can feel the product of energy transforming itself throughout thousands of years and finally being passed on to me, making me important in this chain of nature.”

Close-Up of a Chicken

Photograph by Michael Clímaco Calderón

“I think young people aren’t connected to nature because of the progress in our society that leads young people to another world, where everything is created by man for his own convenience,” says Photo Camp participant Michael Clímaco Calderón. “Ever since I can remember I have lived, felt, and grown with nature, even though back then I didn’t know why it was so important to take care of it and preserve it for the next generations.”

Portrait of a Farmer

Photograph by Michael Jardel Hebert Lisboa Oliveira

“Nowadays it’s harder to be in touch with nature,” says Photo Camp participant Michael Oliveira, “because of the culture of young people. Many are born and raised in big cities, and their parents never helped them enjoy a natural environment. Now when they are finally in touch with nature, they don’t feel the same attraction and love for it.”

Pet Toucan

Photograph by Sandro Wendell deMont Serrat Lopes

“It’s impossible to turn on the light, go to the shopping mall, eat a hamburger, buy new clothes, and chew gum without perceiving the impact those activities have in our environment,” says Photo Camp participant Sandro Lopes. “To milk a cow and plant a tree, are those so different than drinking a soda? To respect the rational use of resources is to guarantee that our friends, neighbors, and brothers have the opportunity to meet the cow that gives us the milk and the meat, the plants that provides fiber, and the fruits from which the sodas are made. I think every day we have the opportunity to learn something new and also to bring something new into this world. By preserving water resources, a lot of people can have light for their homes and for their lives.”

Hanging Wind Chimes

Photograph by David Felipe Navichoc Chavajay

“There’s no doubt in my mind that living in contact with nature is the best thing there is,” says Photo Camp participant David Chavajay. “Unfortunately, mankind’s destructive hand has made this experience unavailable for many young people and even worse for the next generations. Today’s consumer societies also dramatically distract young people with material things.”

Caged Pigs

Photograph by Cean Reginald

“I think my life is an expression of nature,” says Photo Camp participant Cean Reginald. “I feel better in a garden, admiring flowers, listening to the song of birds and captivated by the cascade of a river. As a child I discovered with my parents what nature means. With my church, we used to participate in and organize activities to inspire people to protect the trees and the biodiversity of the community. We tried to find new alternatives to ease the condition of life for us and the environment.”

Farm Worker

Photograph by Carmen Solano Hidalgo

Photo Camp participant Carmen Solano Hidalgo thinks adults will never think the same as young people. “They are more responsible. Young people are never satisfied with who they are or what they have, and we hardly ever appreciate the beauty of nature or take care of our environment. We aren’t connected with the responsibilities we should have as citizens. I am young, but I think adults are right.”

White Horse in Stable

Photograph by Jeanette del Rosario Valdivia Rodriguez

“Young people are the seeds that are sprouting,” says Photo Camp participant Jeanette Rodriguez, “growing in the way to change the world. Our mother, the Earth, cries, and her children are listening. Young people are questioning more the things that surround them and are feeling more compromised in the present and the future. Little by little the blindfold is coming off from our eyes. That is important because it allows us to see beyond what logic tells us.”

Small Brown Frog

Photograph by Gerald Hernández Gómez

“I think I am a part of nature,” says Photo Camp participant Gerald Gómez. “My father has taught me to protect and take care of it. I’ve been raised in the country, and I feel that without nature nothing would be the same. We wouldn’t find so many insects and animals. Without forests, volcanoes, and rivers, everything would be like a desert; there would be no life.”

La Argentina Farmer

Photograph by Claudio José Castro Badilla

“I can’t stop admiring life and the potential of life on this planet,” declares Photo Camp participant Claudio Badilla. “I live in the tropics, where life blooms, in a way explodes, and fills any space. Human beings could pave or cover the entire planet in concrete, and life’s potential would provoke the apparition of living beings. When I think about the destruction of natural resources and the absurd world that humans are building with development and consumerism, I fear that people are wasting the only life they have on this Earth.”

Breakfast at EARTH University

Photograph by Danilo Alberto Solano Rojas

“All human beings are connected to the earth (Pachamama); that’s our nature even though few of us understand it.” So says Photo Camp participant Danilo Rojas. “I think that if we become more conscious about our abilities, manifested through our senses, we will be able to see that we are really one with nature. Something I recommend is to try to observe our own eyes when we see, and to do the same with our other senses.

“I am living nature; I connect with it to learn and help others. I work with soil and the resources that give sustenance to the people. I drink its water and refresh myself with it; I search her breeze to uplift my thoughts and bring the poems written by the trees with their leaves. I am you. You are love, rain, fire; remember we are one. If I am connected, so are you. All of us.”

EARTH University Library

Photograph by José Antonio Gómez Jiménez

“Most of today’s youth are worried about caring for our environment. We know what is happening around us, and we are looking for options that will provide us a better world for the future, one that is not contaminated or devastated. Plus, many young people are enjoying nature’s scenery right where they live; they visit waterfalls, caves, and rivers, and take care of them so they don’t disappear.”—Photo Camp participant José Antonio Gómez Jiménez

La Argentina School Children

Photograph by Enmanuel Ortiz Villatoro

“I adore nature because my whole life has been related to it," says Photo Camp participant Enmanuel Villatoro. “I come from a rural area where I’ve been able to grow among nature’s components, and that’s why I love animals so much, especially wild animals. This has been strengthened for me by the experiences I’ve had at EARTH University. I feel part of nature, with the ability to save or destroy it. I hope we try to save it, because it is our duty, and that way we can improve today’s situation.”

Siquierres Local Residents

Photograph by Wendy Villegas Casasola

“My experience with nature in this course has been incredible,” says Photo Camp participant Wendy Casasola. “I have learned a lot. Here at EARTH University, nature is beautiful, La Argentina farm is unforgettable, and if it were up to me I would stay and live here. I feel like I’m flying in the clouds. Nature is a beauty that we must preserve with lots of love.”

Cultivating Gardens

Photograph by Jordán Brenes Zúñiga

“Nowadays, adults should take more advantage of being out in nature,” says Photo Camp participant Jordán Brenes Zúñiga. “They have to be connected. I personally think that nature is rich, in species of animals, plants, and trees. Nature is beautiful because without her the world, the planet wouldn’t look the same.”

Dominoes Game

Photograph by Samuel Calero Baltodano

“Well, sometimes adults are right,” says Photo Camp participant Samuel Baltodano, “because there are plenty of unscrupulous people who cut trees and burn them. But I, as a human being, respect nature because nature gives us a lot of benefits. With fewer trees, the sun is going to shine harder, and global warming will be stronger and a catastrophe is bound to happen. People have to realize that nature benefits us in ways beyond our imagination. Without nature, we could not live because trees and plants purify the air and feed us.”

Organic Banana Facility

Photograph by Maria Susana Hernández Sánchez

“I think that concern for the planet is beginning to arise in the consciousness of young people, a concern for our home," says Photo Camp participant Maria Sánchez. "Many people are getting in touch with nature, and there’s awareness about extinction, the lack of water, hunger, and destruction caused by chemicals. There is conscience, but there is no movement. It seems like we are witnessing our own destruction in slow motion. Action is missing; young people are the force that moves the machine that will save our future.

“My experience with nature is the one of mother and daughter," Sánchez adds. "She is who provides oxygen for me; nourishes, shelters and liberates me. When someone pollutes her veins, it hurts me; when they cut one of her trees, her sons, it hurts me; my being is connected to her, I love life, I enjoy it, and I want the best for my planet.”